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“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Joseph Campbell). Clara Barton could be regarded as a hero because she went into several military battles during the civil war with a strong mindset to help the soldiers who were wounded and to provide supplies that were needed but scarce17.She was a woman of many talents who accomplished a lot but became best known for the founding of the Red Cross in America. Her humanitarian contributions and compassionate personality allowed her to connect with many people. As inspiring as Clara Barton was, she wasn’t born a hero but became one with the influence of her younger years. Clara Barton’s family life and personal struggles when she was younger, ultimately shaped …show more content…
her into the humanitarian she later became. Clara was born on December 25, 1821, in Massachusetts on Christmas day. From the time she was born her family of six played a big part in her life. She had two older sisters, Dorothea and Sarah Barton, they played a big part in the education Clara received when she was younger as they were her teachers. Her brother Stephen Barton was a mathematician who taught Clara multiplication, division, subtraction, halves, quarters and wholes.3 Her father who was also named Stephen Barton raised horses for a living and used a to be a commissioned officer in the French and Indian War, and he became her political and military instructor.3 Her brother David who had a strong love for horses taught Clara how to ride them at the age of 5.3 Clara never went to a formal riding school but the lessons her brother taught her stayed with her throughout her life and as she recalls in her book, “Sometimes, in later years, when I found myself suddenly on a strange horse in a troopers saddle, flying for life or liberty in front of pursuit, I blessed the baby lessons of the wild gallops among the beautiful colts.”3 it can be seen how much Clara appreciated and valued the lessons she received. Clara's family was her support system and taught her many things which aided her later on in her career as a humanitarian. Before Clara went to formal schooling her sisters were the ones who educated her and the bond she developed with them helped her later on in her life. In 1861 her sister, Sarah helped Clara with the collection of food, clothing and medical supplies for the Union troops which furthered her career as a humanitarian. Her father's experience in war taught Clara the importance of ensuring that an army has food, clothing, arms and medical supplies which Clara would keep in mind for the rest of her life as she was constantly aiding wounded soldiers.3 When Clara herself was in the war in her later years helping soldiers, she didn’t feel like a stranger compared to most women and even men because of the knowledge her father had provided her with when she was younger. This quote from her book Story of my Childhood perfectly sums up the importance of the military education that Clara received from her father, “I never addressed a colonel as captain, got my cavalry on foot, or mounted my infantry.”3 The importance of this education is that it built Clara a strong foundation on the basic mechanics of being a part of the army; because of this she was respected by men thus led to them enabling them to entrust her to be on the battlefield which furthered her humanitarian career. In addition to the military education her father provided her with, he also helped the less fortunate in his community and became part of what inspired Clara to become a humanitarian. This nuclear family that Clara Barton lived with, became the building blocks of her career of being involved in the war and helping out others in need. If there was ever a specific incident in Clara’s life that enabled her to realize her true passion was in helping people, it was when her brother David fell ill.
David was known to dangerous jobs because of his strength. On one particular occasion he was fixing a barn, and he happened to fall from a great height and at first was proclaimed unhurt.3 For several days, he had a headache which progressively got worse and those several days turned into weeks. Soon he was diagnosed with a fever by a doctor and the only way to cure him was if blood was drawn. This affected Clara greatly because from a young age she had formed a very strong and unbreakable bond with her brother.3 This bond enabled her to remain by her brothers side day and night, and she “learned to take all directions for his medicines from his physician (who had eminent counsel) and to administer them like a genuine nurse.”3 She took care of him for two years until he was sent to a doctor for treatment. During this particular incident, was when she willingly let go of her own needs to meet her brothers needs.3 Caring for her brother gave Clara a purpose and after he was healed “instead of feeling that my freedom gave me time for recreation or play, it seemed to me like time wasted, and I looked anxiously about for some useful occupation”3 this what helped her come to the conclusion that helping others helped her get rid of the shy and timid nature that had held her back for so long. Her shy and timid nature was caused by a speech impediment she had known as a lisp. Her lisp caused her to feel self-conscious and insecure disabling her from talking to people but with the help of her family Clara was able to overcome it. In an attempt to help Clara overcome her fear, her parents sent her to a boarding school, believing that Clara would lose her timid characteristic if thrown amidst strangers.3 After Clara was sent home for not eating was when she realized the importance of overcoming her timid nature as
“it would have given far less annoyance and trouble to” herself “all through life”3. Her shy nature was questioned once more when her family split into two meaning her parents stayed in one home and her siblings in another. Her parents went to go live with a widow and her children with the intention of helping them get by. Since young Clara still had to live with her parents she slowly learned to open up and talk to her new “family members” people who were now becoming a part of her life. A particular incident that made Clara forgo her normal attitude was during the repainting of the widow’s home. She became very interested in painting as it was new to her and one day she worked up the courage to ask one of the head artisans how to paint. Although these events may seem insignificant, they were some of the factors that enabled Clara to look past her insecurities and achieve something greater than herself. Her personal struggle allowed her to develop character allowing her to feel empathy towards all types of people. This empathy that she felt allowed her to support feminism and abolition causes as well. The want or need to become an humanitarian arose from her personal struggle of her shy and timid nature because while helping other Clara didn't have enough time to think of herself so liked going out into the battlefield to help soldiers causing her to overcome her fear3 . The strong influence that Clara's personal struggles and family life had on her to become a humanitarian is quite evident. But by taking a closer look it can be observed that the structure of a nuclear family that Clara had also influenced her later on life choices. Her family offered a support system for her throughout her life. Clara was able to spend an equal amount of time with each family member allowing her to develop emotional bonds and become close to her siblings (ex. David). She was never in poverty and lived life comfortably because her father was always able to provide her and this led her to become ambitious. Physically and mentally, she was healthy and because of her strong relationships, her family was able to influence her life in a positive way. Her obedience to her parents allowed Clara to grow and mature and eventually become a brave and fearless person. Clara had many other humanitarian accomplishments such as, “Between 1866 and 1868, Barton lectured widely about her wartime experiences and used the proceeds to finance her search for missing soldiers. In 1869, she headed to Europe for health reasons but quickly became involved in humanitarian efforts for soldiers fighting in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. During the war, Barton became familiar with the newly formed International Committee of the Red Cross, a Swiss-based relief agency, and she returned to the United States determined to found an American chapter.”17 Her life became devoted to humanitarian causes because of how she was raised and the influences she had growing up. Clara's ends her book with this powerful message, “How well I remember the tearful resolution with which I pledged myself to overcome my troublesome propensities and to strive only for the courage of the right, and for the fearlessness of true womanhood so much needed and earnestly desired, and so painfully lacking.”3 which leads to the inference that Clara came to this conclusion because of her childhood experiences.
During the mid-1800s, separation in America between the North and the South became prevalent, especially over the idea of slavery, which eventually led to the Civil War. Women did not have much power during this time period, but under the stress and shortages of the War, they became necessary to help in fighting on and off the battlefields, such as by becoming nurses, spies, soldiers, and abolitionists (Brown). Many women gave so much assistance and guidance, that they made lasting impacts on the War in favor of who they were fighting for. Three inspiring and determined women who made huge impacts on contributing to the American Civil War are Rose O’Neal Greenhow, who worked as a spy for the Confederacy leading to multiple victories, Clara Barton, who worked as a nurse, a soldier, and formed the American Red Cross to continue saving lives, and Harriet Tubman, who conducted the Underground Railroad sending slaves to freedom, which enabled them and their actions to be remembered forever (Brown).
The author, Elizabeth Brown Pryor, wrote her biography of Clara Barton with the intent to not only tell her life, but to use personal items (diary and letters) of Clara’s found to help fill information of how Clara felt herself about incidents in her life. Her writing style is one that is easy to understand and also one that enables you to actually get pulled into the story of the person. While other biographical books are simply dry facts, this book, with the help of new found documents, allows Pryor to give a modern look on Barton’s life. This book gave a lot of information about Ms. Barton while also opening up new doors to the real Clara Barton that was not always the angel we hear about. Pryor’s admiration for Ms. Barton is clear in her writing, but she doesn’t see her faults as being a bad thing, but rather as a person who used all available means to help her fellow soldiers and friends along in life.
From childhood to death Clara Barton dedicated her life to helping others. She is most notably remembered for her work as a nurse on the battlefield during the Civil War and for the creation of the American Red Cross. Barton was also an advocate for human rights. Equal rights for all men, women, black and white. She worked on the American equal Rights Association and formed relations with civil rights leaders such as Anna Dickensen and Fredric Douglass. Her undeterred determination and selflessness is undoughtably what made her one of the most noteworthy nurses in American history.
David was a young boy who got beaten everyday. He was very skinny, bony, and was beaten everyday. David wore threadbare clothing, he looked as if he hadn't changed or washed his clothes in months. This was the truth, his mother starved him and abused him. She never washed his clothes to embarrass him. This worked at first when people started making fun of him, but David got used to it. Bullies started beating the scrawny boy up everyday, it became a routine, but he was so frail and weak from being starved he couldn?t fight back. David looked muddled, he had a very terrible physical journey that made him mentally stronger.
Thousands of lives would have not been lost if Clare Barton did not play the role she did in the Civil War. Clara Barton was an influential leader during the Civil War due to her childhood experiences, decisions she made during the war, and the legacy she left behind after the war.
Generally when you think of a hero, who do you envision? Most likely, you picture a strong and imposeing figure, someone capable of performing in high pressure situations, demonstrating bravery and passion to help his/her fellow man. Those who typically fit that role in society are firefighters, policemen, and soldiers. Those people deserve all the credit and recognition they receive for their courageous acts. However, what about individuals or groups who aren’t necessarily on the “frontlines” physically protecting others and saving lives, but who work extremely hard to improve the lives of others in some way? These everyday people deserve credit as well. After all, to the people they help, these volunteers or activists are heroes. An example of such a group is the Greensboro Four, a few African American college students in the early 1960s who helped change the landscape of segregation in the Jim Crow South.
As a little girl, she first found her life’s calling when she took care of her brother David after an accident. He had been helping to build a barn when he flipped and fell to the ground. Doctors had come to help, but he did not get any better. Eleven year-old Clara became David's nurse, administering his medicine and even applying and removing leeches when the doctors suggested it might help. Clara stayed home from school for two years to take care of her brothe...
Rosa Parks What’s a hero? A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. Hero’s can also be someone who has made a change in the world and or a society like Rosa Parks. Rosa Parks is considered a hero because of all the things she went through and made happen throughout her life.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
Clara Barton was born on December 25th 1821 in Massachussetts and is most widely known for founding the American Red Cross and supporting Union soldiers in the field during the American Civil War. Clara learned the arts of nursing at a young age when assigned the task of nursing her brother after he fell and received a severe injury.
Hero’s help others in need; that is their most important characteristic in a hero, they also put other people before them. All heroes have other contributing qualities that make them distinct, but every hero has his/her own spotlight. Margaret (Molly) Brown, the most famous Titanic survivor, was the hero of many, many people. Her adventure started when she herself was saved from the sea by the Carpathia when the Titanic sank. She was a survivor, a helper, and most importantly: a hero.
David growing up as a child lived in a house where there was no love shown or caring relationships. He grew up not knowing what good relationships looked like or felt like. David did not think too highly of his dad or aunt and always had
Heroes are people who make a difference and change the world. The world would not be like it is today, if it had not been for Queen Isabella I of Castile. Isabella of Castile was one of the most influential women in history because of her extensive achievements. Some accomplishments she was known for was her defense for the Catholic faith in the Spanish Inquisition, the unification of Spain, and the funding of the discovery of the New World. This Spanish queen was a hero because she was able to successfully lead, in her own right, with her husband, Ferdinand, in a way that has influenced the entire world. Isabella of Castile was a woman of great vision and lead with virtue, intelligence, and unconventional actions to affect the world.
A hero is by definition, “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe has courage, made some outstanding achievements, and has noble qualities. Therefore, she is considered a hero. Sister Rosemary is a hero because she takes on challenges, helps young girls, and created a program called “Sewing Hope”. During the Lord’s Resistance, leader Joseph Kony ruined many children's lives, and Sister Rosemary was there to pick up the pieces.
Helen Keller’s life dramatically changed in 1882 when her mother noticed something was wrong with her. What everybody thought was scarlet fever ended up being worse. Helen was blind and deaf. Helen Keller, being both blind and deaf, had many disadvantages compared to people who are not blind and deaf. One of these disadvantages is that she could not attend school. Another disadvantage of Helen being blind and deaf was that she didn’t have many friends, mainly caused by the fact that she could not attend school. At, a young age, Helen realized that she was different from everybody else around her (“The Life of Helen Keller”). She couldn’t talk to anybody, nobody would play with her because of her disability also known as her “sixth sense”.